A Rose by Any Other Name
by HumanAtHeart
Summary: Rin, an innocent fourteen year old girl, attempts to escape her abusive father through suicide. When she fails, she is sent to a mental hospital, where she meets someone who might just convince her not to take her life.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

There was a small girl. She forced her eyes open in the bright sunlight, which only caused of feeling of her corneas being fried like eggs. She wasn't young, only small. In fact, she was fourteen. Not too old, not too young.

But no matter what, it was a shitty time to be living in. The age was often a time of great depression and hardship. There are only two words that can truly sum up what tortures girls in their early teens...

Fucking puberty.

But back to the girl. She found herself in a large meadow, filled with multicolored flowers and tall, soft grass. She raised her eyebrows in confusion, but said nothing as she began walking forward.

_Rin_

The grass was so green.

_Rin!_

Such a beautiful shade of green.

_Rin! Don't go any further!_

It was almost unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was nearly unreal.

_Rin! Rin please come back! Please come back to me Rin!_

It was like...

_Rin! Wake up dammit!_

Like...

_Please! You can't die now!_

Like it could be...

_Rin!_

Heavenly...

...

The girl woke up gasping for air. She coughed and sputtered before letting out an extremely loud shriek.

"Shh! Shh! Rin! It's okay! It's okay! It's me!"

The little girl looked around and saw a bright flash of green.

_Green_

She turned again and saw that the green was forming thick spirals.

_Just like that grass_

Which just so happened to be a girl's hair.

_It's the exact same shade. O lord, O lord am I dying?_

And that girl happened to be the one who was talking.

"Gumi?" The girl who had just awoken whispered, looking around in confusion. "Where are we? What happened?"

"Oh you stupid bitch!" Gumi yelled, tears flowing from her eyes

_Green eyes_

as she threw her arms around her.

"Rin you stupid, stupid girl!"

"What? What happened?"

"You idiot!" Gumi sobbed, breaking the embrace she had begun and shoving Rin's chest hard, knocking her over from her sitting position. "Don't ever do that to me again?"

"Do what?" Rin asked, still dazed. "What did I do?"

"Look at your wrists."

Rin looked down, and sure enough there was one thick layer of bandage around each wrist, and blood could be seen seeping through.

"Come on," Gumi said, scooping Rin into her arms. Oh she was so much taller and stronger. "We're getting you to a hospital."

Rin wanted to protest, but didn't. Instead she let herself lie still in Gumi's arms as she carried her to the car and started it up.

"I can't believe you would do something like this! I come home from a quick trip to the store, and where do I find you? In my fucking bathtub bleeding to death! That's it, you're not staying with me anymore!"

There was no response from Rin, who just lied limply in the back seat, staring at the ceiling as the car started backing out of the driveway.

"It was just supposed to be a sleepover! That was it! We were supposed to have fun and eat popcorn and maybe drink a little! And what do you go and do? Slit your fucking wrists! Jesus Christ, Rin! You know what they're going to do with you when we get to the emergency room? Once you're fixed up, they're going to put you in a mental hospital! You're going to be locked up with a bunch of lunatics, Rin! What am I supposed to do while you're in there? Cry my eyes out because you'd choose death over me? Do you ever think about anyone but yourself?"

Gumi was sobbing the entire way to the emergency room.

And Rin didn't say a word.

She didn't speak, didn't think, didn't move.

Only one thing was running through her head on repeat.

Why did I do it there?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Kagamine." The doctor said.

"Of course, Dr. Kasane." Rin's father smiled.

"Just know that your daughter may be unconscious for a while longer. She lost a lot of blood, and we are lucky that her partner was able to get her here in time. If she hadn't placed those bandages to stop the bleeding, Miss Kagamine might be dead right now."

"Well I'm very glad she's alive. She's very precious to me, you know."

Despite Mr. Kagamine's smile, there was something dead behind his eyes.

"I'm sure she is." Dr. Kasane replied, not noticing the emptiness.

"Well, I hope you can leave me alone with her for a bit. I want to be the first thing she sees when she wakes up."

"That's very sweet of you, sir.

If only the doctor knew that Rin's father did not want to comfort his daughter, but rather strike fear into her heart.

"A social worker will be in here in an hour to speak to you and your daughter." The doctor added. "Make sure to be ready to speak to her."

"Of course."

Rin's father turned around and walked back into the small emergency room cubicle that Rin was being kept in. The door, a thin see-through curtain, was brushed aside briskly as the man entered the cubicle.

There, on a small cot, lied Rin. She pale, having lost so much blood and come so close to death. The ribbon she had been wearing in her hair was hanging loosely, looking as if it were going to fall off at any moment. The sleeveless hospital gown she wore revealed the bruises on her arms, which Mr. Kagamine figured he would have to explain. Still, if anyone asked, he could say she had gotten them playing lacrosse or football. She liked sports, right? He wouldn't know, seeing how he was a rather neglectful father.

Apparently more neglectful than he had thought, seeing how Rin had gone and slit her wrists.

At least he knew he would be rid of her for a few days. He knew from a friend's experience that anyone who attempted suicide was put into a mental hospital for at least a 72 hour hold. He hated how his wife had abandoned him and left him with a child he didn't want. He hated Rin because she reminded him of the woman who he had loved, and who had left him. He had never planned on having children, but fourteen years ago he had been ditched with one, unable to get rid of her.

He was a simple businessman. That was all he had time for. When Rin bothered him too much (especially if he was intoxicated) he beat her. That was where the bruises on Rin's arms had come from. There were more on her legs and torso as well, but those couldn't be seen in the hospital gown.

Suddenly, he noticed Rin stirring. Her fingers were bending and her eyes were beginning to flutter open. He sighed, knowing she was about to cause a scene, and he didn't want that.

"What the..." She grumbled, rubbing her eyes. She pulled her hands away from her eyes slowly as she realized that they were bandaged. She then looked over at her father, who had seated himself in a chair in the corner of the cubicle. "Papa? What's going on?"

"You tried to kill yourself, you idiot." Her father snapped. "Your freakshow girlfriend brought you to the ER, then they called me and had me come down."

"Gumi isn't a freak."

"Don't interrupt me!"

Rin flinched as her father raised his hand in her direction. Even though he was several feet away from her, she was still afraid. She had always been afraid.

"I'm sorry Papa." She murmured, grabbing the pillow she had been resting her head on and burying her face in it.

"I'm sorry." She continued, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I won't interrupt you again. I promise."

"You better not." Her father had only raised his hand reflexively, but he still most likely would have hit her had they been at home. But here people could see them through the transparent curtain. "But how are you awake? The doctor said you shouldn't wake up for another few hours."

"How should I know?" Rin mumbled, pulling her face out of the pillow and sniffling. "I don't even remember cutting my wrists."

"Well you lost a lot of blood. Who knows what that can do to you?"

Rin sighed, hauling herself into a sitting position and putting the pillow between her back and the wall.

"Papa, can I have my cellphone?"

"It's at home. I'm not driving all the way there just to get it."

"Okay. That's fine."

"Why did you want it?"

"I wanted to call Gumi and apologize. I tried to kill myself at her house, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You were staying the night there."

"Okay. That much I remember."

But why couldn't she remember anything about her suicide?

...

"They're going to keep you there for a couple of days, then send you home."

Rin nodded, eating the overcooked greens that had come with the terrible hospital food she had been given for dinner. The sun had set, and it was late. According to this social worker who was now speaking to her and her father, Rin was going to spend six days in a mental hospital, where they would watch her and keep her from attempting suicide again until they could get her on some medication.

"Is there any way she could stay there residentially? I don't want her out unless you're sure she won't try to kill herself again.

"Unfortunately, no. The teen part of this hospital is only for temporary stays. I'm sorry about that, Mr. Kagamine."

He sighed, disappointed that he hadn't gotten a chance to get rid of Rin.

"What's the hospital like?" Rin asked.

"Well, I haven't been to the teen area myself, but I'm sure it's a perfectly nice place. The adult section is." The social worked explained. She then noticed the worried look on Rin's face, and continued. "I'm sure you'll be fine there, Rin. There may be a lot of rules, but the people there are very nice. And they have better food than they have here."

"So long as I don't have to eat this crap anymore, I'm good." Rin decided, making the social worker laugh.

"Alright, so the paramedics are coming to pick her up in an hour, so say your goodbyes and go home to pack Rin a bag, Mr. Kagamine. She'll need a few days worth of clothes to take with her, along with essential toiletries."

"I figured as much." Rin's father said with a smile.

"Alright. I have to go, so make the most of these last hour together. Goodbye."

And with that, the social worker left Rin's cubicle.

...

When the paramedics came to pick up Rin, she was completely ready to go. She had been trying to leave her father through death anyway, and this was almost as good, except this way she would only get to leave for a few days.

"Ready to go?" One of the paramedics asked Rin as he helped her onto a gurney that she would be carried on in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"I guess so." Rin said with a shrug. "How bad can it be, right?"

She had no idea just what was in store for her.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everybody! Sorry I'm posting such short chapters, but I'm doing the best I can. I'm stuck with writers block at the moment so I can't really write a whole lot, but again, I'm doing my best.<strong>

**I figured I'm going to do that thing I used to do where I ask questions at the end of every chapter, because who doesn't love that, right?**

**Answer in a review if you'd like!**

**1. Why do you think Mr. Kagamine never wanted children?**

**2. What do you think will happen to Rin in her six days at the hospital?**

**3. Is my writing okay of a level for me to be at for a fourteen year old boy?**

**4. How is Rin going to maintain her relationship with Gumi while she's in the hospital?**

**5. Do any of you know anything about mental hospitals? (I do, and I can tell you that they suck ass)**

**6. Where's Len? Why do you think I haven't introduced him yet?  
><strong>

**7. Are you enjoying this story so far? Why or why not?**

**I hope you're all doing well.**

**-H.A.H.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The first thing that Rin noticed when she entered the hospital was how similar it was to a prison.

There were security cameras everywhere, watching the patients like the eyes of a cruel god watching helpless lambs trapped in a tight barn space. Volunteers walked up and down the halls, occasionally checking inside small windows on the doors to the rooms that they could slide open and closed, but the patients staying inside couldn't touch. The windows on the walls were several inches thick and were clouded so dark that no one could see anything through them but light, and the bars on the windows didn't exactly give a more hopeful appearance. There was one spot with a few pay-phones on a wall, but there was a menacing-looking volunteer standing next to them, and Rin guessed that there were only designated hours for the phones to be used, and that now was not one of them.

There were no patients to be seen, but she figured that it was most likely because it was around nine o' clock at night, and they probably were all designated to be asleep by now. Rin didn't know how she would be able to go to bed so early when she was used to staying up really late.

One of the paramedics pushed Rin inside on the gurney before allowing her to step off. A friendly looking nurse then took her back into another room, where she checked through all of Rin's belongings to make sure she wasn't carrying anything she could harm herself with. She then had Rin fill out a bunch of paperwork before taking her into the bathroom.

"We need to document any self-harm injuries you may have." The nurse explained. "Please remove your hospital gown."

Rin flinched.

"Uh, I don't cut." She said nervously.

"We just have to make sure. It's standard procedure."

Rin sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do. She removed her hospital gown and stood before this stranger in nothing but her underwear.

There, revealed for the first time, were all of the bruises her father had given her. There were many of them, and they were very dark.

"Where did these come from?" The nurse asked, pointing at Rin's bruises.

"Lacrosse." Rin lied. "Some are from lacrosse, and others are from fights."

"Fights with who?"

"Kids at school. I don't exactly get along with most kids."

The nurse raised an eyebrow, implying that she didn't believe what Rin was saying. But she said nothing more and handed Rin her bag so that she could get properly dressed.

Once Rin had pulled on a pair of jeans and an orange tank-top, the nurse led her to her room, which was some ways down the hallway.

"Here we are." The nurse said. "Room 11. There are already a couple girls staying in here, so you'll have some company. That alright?"

Rin nodded, opening the door and walking inside.

As soon as the door handle turned, three girls looked up. One was lying on the floor, reading a small paperback book, while the other two had been sitting on the top bunk of one of two bunk beds that were in the room.

Rin ignored their stares as she entered the room, walking over to the other side of the room and placing her small bag next to the tiny bookshelf where there was already plenty of stuff from the other three girls.

"Are you our new roommate?" One of the girls from the top of the bunk bed asked. She had long red hair with several barrettes in it. She wore a plain white t-shirt and blue pajama pants, which appeared to be very fuzzy. On her feet were pink slippers, and she looked like she belonged at a slumber party rather than a mental hospital.

"Yeah," Rin responded. "I'm Rin, and you are?"

"I'm Miki." The red haired girl replied with a friendly smile.

"I'm Lily." The girl on the floor added. She had hair the same golden color as Rin's, except it was much, much longer. She was dressed in grey sweatpants and a green tank-top that looked very similar to Rin's, except it was, of course, green. Her feet were bare, with toenails painted the same color as her tank.

"Nice to meet you guys." Rin said, forcing a smile. She turned to the other girl on top of the bunk bed, who hadn't introduced herself yet. "And what's your name?"

The girl was quiet. She had long blonde hair, just like Lily, except it was a bit darker, and she had it tied up in a ponytail.

"I'm Neru." The girl said bitterly, looking away from Rin. Rin raised an eyebrow at her behavior, but said nothing.

"Well, can you tell me which bed isn't taken?" Rin asked, trying to keep things off of Neru's negativity.

"The bottom bunk of the bed closest to the window." Miki provided helpfully. Rin nodded and went to go sit down on the bed. Suddenly, there was another comment from Neru.

"What's that on your arms?"

Rin sighed, having been afraid of more people asking that.

"They're bruises; what do they look like?"

"Well duh, but how did you get them?"

"Lacrosse."

"Ooo! Sporty!" Miki giggled, making Rin smile.

"I guess you could say that." Rin shrugged.

"What'd you do to get in here, Rin?" Lily asked, closing her book and leaning against the wall.

Rin lifted up her still-bandaged wrists for her roommates to see.

"I tried to slit my wrists."

The three girls were silent for a moment, nodding.

"I tried to kill myself too." Lily said. "I tried to OD on a bunch of my meds. Neru did the same, only she was about to jump off the roof of her apartment building."

"I got put in here for calling the cops on myself while I was high." Miki admitted. "They put me in here to keep me off the drugs for a bit."

Rin nodded, understanding.

"Well, just be glad you're not sharing a room with Miku or Haku." Miki continued. "You only got us, the sane ones."

"Who are Miku and Haku?" Rin wondered.

"You'll meet them tomorrow at breakfast. Miku's schizophrenic, and she has major anger issues. There have been times where they've had to sedate her and keep her in the 'crazy room.'"

"What's that?"

"It's what we call the observation room." Lily explained. "It's a room where they keep you sedated and watch you for 24 hours before letting you go back to your regular room."

Rin nodded again.

"And Haku's just pain nuts." Miki continued. "She cries all the time and sometimes howls like a wolf. She thinks she's five years old, and she's really annoying."

"Don't forget Len." Neru reminded Miki. "He's also a loon. Another schizo, and he runs around yelling 'fuck the staff' all the time. It's crazy."

"They keep boys here too?"

"Oh yeah, but we're not allowed to interact with them or talk to them at all. The only time we're ever together is during group activities."

"They think that if a boy and a girl even look at each other, they'll end up fucking in the hallway." Lily said with a laugh. "The staff is even crazier than some of the patients."

Rin laughed, starting to feel a bit at home with these girls.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Question time!<strong>

**1. What is with Neru's bitterness?**

**2. Why is Miki so peppy?**

**3. What do you think of these three new characters?**

**4. Do the girls believe Rin's story about getting her bruises from lacrosse? Will this come back to bite her in the ass later?**

**5. If boys and girls aren't allowed to interact, how is Len going to work his way into the story?**

**Once again, I love you all!**

**-H.A.H.**


	4. Author's Note

Hey party people!  
>Sorry I haven't been posting for the last two months or so. I've been in treatment for my mental illnesses. :(<br>But I'm back now! And things will get back on schedule.  
>If you have any questions for me, feel free to message me!<br>-Sam 


End file.
